In a quest to determine which of the top most popular diets cause the greatest weight loss Dr. Michael Dansinger of Tufts University conducted a medical study to compare the effects of these diets. The four included in his study were Weight Watchers; the Atkins diet; the extremely low-fat Ornish diet; and the high-protein, moderate-carbohydrate Zone diet. Dr. Dansinger reported his findings at a recent meeting of the American Heart Association.

For the study, 160 overweight individuals were divided into four groups and randomly assigned to one of the diets. They all agreed to adhere to the regimen specified by each one of their diets for the duration of the one-year investigation. Those on the Weight Watchers program were not required to exercise, attend group meetings or keep a food diary, a standard part of the program. Similarly, those on the Ornish plan were not required to attend the stress reduction sessions recommended by Dr. Dean Ornish.

Of those who stuck to the diet for the full year, they averaged a loss of 10 to 12 pounds, or 5 percent of their body weight. Surprisingly, the weight reduction was equal among the individuals assigned to the different diets. What appeared critical was the ability to stick to the diet plan, not the plan itself.

What the study also demonstrated was that only 25% of the participants were able to stick to the diet plan. After two months, 22 percent had gone off their diet, and after one year 42 percent had thrown in the towel. The one-year failure rate for Weight Watchers and the Zone diet was 35 percent, while the Atkins and Ornish plans saw a 50 percent dropout rate.

The bottom line is that all four diets were equally effective in causing weight loss. Dr. Dansinger concludes, "Instead of saying there is one clear winner here, we are saying they are all winners."

The implication of this study are profound when juxtaposed against the reality that 66% of all Americans are overweight. The study then raises more provocative questions than it answers. For example, why if all diets work have the American overweight rate increase 50% in the past thirty years? The overweight rate increased from 14% in the 1970's to 66% in 2003. Why can't over 75% of everyone who goes on a diet stick to their diets? Of those that actually reached their desire weight, why can't less 12% maintain their weight loss permantely? That's where The End of Diets philosophy comes in.

It is not that diets don't work. It is not that exercising doesn't work. The laws of physics cannot be altered. It is that if we address the symptons versus the causes of our overweight we are never going to lose weight permanently. If all diets work and the problem is that it is so difficult to stick to a diet what causes the "I give up" condition? The question is how do I lose weight, once and for all, and don't go back to our destructive overeating behavior after we lose the weight. The answers to these questions are found in our program "The End of Diets."

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